Our God is the God of vacations
By Eileen Barkman in Japan —
My idyllic image of a week just “chilling” in the nature of Hokkaido hit reality within minutes of our arrival. Choosing a vacation spot on the internet has its pros and cons. While we WERE at a “cozy” hotel in a remote mountain village, we certainly hadn’t anticipated relaxing on our lawn chairs in the middle of a gravel parking lot! And no one had told us about all the recent bear sightings. We had reserved this place for a week! Had we made a big mistake?
Although our plan was to just relax, take walks and read, we had to adjust our expectations to fit the reality of a village of 100 people and very few places to relax comfortably. At the community center (open three days a week), we found an announcement inviting everyone to the summer festival to be held that evening.
So we joined the fun – food booths, games for the children, a live band of local musicians using traditional instruments, an amazing display of fireworks, and lots of warm and friendly visiting.
And then it happened – a lady ran up to me and said with a big, beautiful grin, “I’m a Christian!”
She couldn’t stop smiling. She said she’d heard from someone in the group that we were Christian missionaries and she just had to meet us. We acted like long-lost family members who had at last been reunited!
“Monica” had been born in this village, then moved to Tokyo as a child. That’s where she met Jesus. About 8 or 9 years ago, she sensed God directing her to move back to her hometown, arriving with very little money and a carload of sheep wool. Sheep wool? Yes, she didn’t have a clue why, but someone had given her this “gift.” Believing that God wanted her to use what she had, Monica learned how to spin the wool to make crafts. She has opened up a little shop where she sells her handiwork and teaches others to make crafts from wool. She is boldly sharing her faith, seeking to be a light in a dark place.
The three mornings that we had remaining in our stay, we visited Monica in her shop.
Being the only Christian in the village, she was hungry for fellowship. (The closest church is over an hour away.) And what a delight it was to sing hymns, read and discuss Scripture, pray, and worship our Lord Jesus together!
Our week at this “idyllic” vacation spot passed quickly. Yes, we found many delightful things to do, even if it meant driving an hour one way down from the mountain village to the valley of dairy farms and fields of hay, grain and vegetables. There in the valley villages, we found some lovely flower gardens and quiet parks. We sampled some of the most delicious food ever, played park golf, did some bird watching, and enjoyed times of just sitting and reading (NOT in a parking lot!). But
my husband and I both agree that one of the biggest highlights of our vacation was our times of fellowship with Monica.
Had we made a big mistake in choosing this vacation spot? Not from God’s perspective. He combined our need for rest and Monica’s need for Christian fellowship and gave all three of us hearts filled with joy and thanksgiving.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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